My Turn — Stanley Newbert: Clarifying Mass. gun laws

My Turn — Stanley Newbert: Clarifying Mass. gun laws

NEUBERT In response to various letters on the subject of gun ownership, I would like to clear up some misconceptions as to what is required and allowed in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Many writers are unaware of the law as it now stands and are calling for restrictions that are already in place in Massachusetts, including restrictions on rifles that have been rejected by the nation as a whole at the federal level and by 42 individual states. One obtains a driver’s license so that one can drive a motor vehicle on the public roads. It is a privilege to operate on the public way, not a right and this is so stated in the state driver’s manual. One does not need a license or insurance to purchase or own a vehicle or to operate it on private property. Some people have no license yet carry insurance on a vehicle they own so they may be chauffeured by a licensed driver. However, to legally own a gun, which according to the United States Supreme Court is an individual right, in Massachusetts one must apply for a license which costs $100. To obtain this license one must first take a safety course, which costs another $100, have an interview with the local police and pass a state police background check which includes sending your fingerprints to the FBI to be checked against the national database. To get a license to own a handgun you must state a reason and obtain […]